Resilience is the ability to overcome difficulties and withstand adversity. It’s a quality that many hope to have, but not one you’d hope to associate with a child. A childhood should be full of love, laughter, learning, and great health.

Yojana was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma when she was just 2 years old, sending shockwaves through her loving family. Yojana is a courageous young girl who at the young age of 3 has faced childhood cancer with strength and resilience.

“She started to not feel well. She was born healthy, but little by little she started having symptoms. She would get diarrhea and fevers, and she once had a fever for two weeks. I eventually took her to the hospital, and they sent us home, but the fever wouldn’t break. Then she started to get hives all over her body… the doctors realized this wasn’t normal. Her breathing wasn’t right. They gave her oxygen, and they kept her in there [in the hospital]. A month later they told us her diagnosis, she had cancer. I thought she would only be in the hospital for a bit, but then they explained the whole process, saying it would be months or years,” said Hilaria, Yojana’s mom.

Yojana’s treatment began with rounds of chemotherapy. She received a bone marrow transplant and a liver transplant. The road was tough, marked by long hospital stays, countless medical procedures, and difficult side effects.

“She doesn’t speak very well because when she was in the hospital she stopped talking. She also doesn’t like her hair tied up because she lost all her hair during her treatment. That stayed with her, so she cries when her hair is up,” said Hilaria.

The journey had seemed daunting, filled with uncertainty and fear, but her unwavering spirit and the support of her dedicated medical team at LCH and beyond kept hope alive. Hilaria had been with LCH since she was pregnant with Yojana and is happy to be back now that Yojana has been cleared to receive her immunizations.

“She is getting there slowly… they told me at the hospital she is starting over as if she was a newborn again,” said Hilaria. LCH is helping to catch her up on her childhood vaccines.

Despite the challenges, Yojana never faltered. She tackled each obstacle with grace and inspired everyone around her. Slowly but surely, the cancer began to recede, and hope blossomed once again. With the help of her oncologists and LCH care team Yojana is taking back her childhood.

“LCH has helped me a lot and they ask me about her care in other places. They make me feel better because they tell me they’re going to take care of her,” said Hilaria.

Yojana’s journey through childhood cancer was filled with ups and downs, but through it all, she emerged stronger and more resilient than ever before. With her infectious laughter and indomitable spirit, Yojana reminds us all that with love, support, and unwavering determination, anything is possible.